About this project

$4,389

pledged of $4,000 goal

145

backers

Got The Power is a series of interactive public sculptures constructed out of vintage boom boxes. The sculptures broadcast local peoples' favorite music, oral histories and ambient sounds, native to the area. I compile all of these different audio recordings into a "mixtape", which is broadcast online as well as from the boom box sculpture itself. Ultimately each sculpture is an interactive public art work, which is also a community portrait, through audio recordings.

I will be creating the newest version of this project in Shafer, Minnesota; an hour outside of Minneapolis. This time I am going to truly construct a tower of boom boxes. The tower will actually be functional. I will invite local participants to play their own audio recordings, add their favorite song titles
to
a public playlist, and record their memories about their community. I
will then collect these contributions mixing them with ambient
sound specific to the area, and create a "mixtape" that can be played
both online and through the boom box tower. People will also be welcome to play their own music and audio recordings from the tower on site.

This is an ongoing project that began during a public
artist residency at The Laundromat Project in New York City. So far, versions of Got The Power have been installed in Washington Heights, New York, Bowery, New York, and West Baltimore Maryland. My process is to travel to historically-significant neighborhoods and
invite community members, young and old, to collaborate in making a "mixtape" which archives their favorite songs and stories. Referencing the role boom boxes have played in urban communities and
within popular culture, the resulting sculpture and soundscape is a
symbol of pride, power, and autonomy. By collaborating with local
residents to complete each version of this project, I am creating
an accessible and site-specific work that offers its collaborators an
opportunity to record their own history. You can find out more information about Got The Power: Boom Boxes as Community Soundtracks, at the project website.

Why is this version of Got The Power so special?

This is the first time I will be working in a outside, in a rural area. I am also working in a very different region of the country. I am very excited about the potential impact this piece will have on this community and the "mixtape" that will be created from this scenario. This version will be installed outside, in a park, so I will have the opportunity to build on as large a scale as I would like. Previously the size and aesthetic of the boom box sculptures has been limited by space and resources. This installation is very important because it is an opportunity to show how meaningful and culturally significant this project is, in a variety of communities. It will create an interesting comparison to the other communities I have worked in.

What is the funding for?

In order to make the best use of the space in the park, I would like to construct a tower of boom boxes on a very large scale. This will require upwards of 180 vintage boom boxes. I would like to make sure I have the resources to acquire as many vintage boom boxes as possible without having to be concerned about cost. This goal is for this version of the boom box sculpture to be installed in the park for at least 10 months. Since this installation will be outside, in Minnesota, I am going to have to take a significant number of steps to weather proof it, and make sure it is functional for the entire 10 months, even in the Winter. I will also have to take additional steps to make sure it is structurally sound and stable because it is outside in a harsh environment. This may include constructing a base for it and renting the use of a small crane for adding boom boxes to the top levels. I want to upgrade my sound recording and editing equipment as well, so I can process the mass amount of audio files I collect efficiently and at high quality.

What if I surpass my funding goal?

My funding goal for this project is pretty modest. The more money I raise, the better I can make this project. Money beyond my funding goal will allow me to make this project bigger, more visually dynamic and have better sound quality. It will allow me acquire all the proper equipment and supplies, to make sure this boom box tower functions in an engaging way, for an extended length of time, providing a more significant impact on the local community and beyond.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $10 or more
About $10

Everyone who pledges $10 and up will receive a free download of the Washington Heights Mixtape. This compilations includes songs from local artists and mixes from local DJs specific to the neighborhood, in addition to local peoples favorite songs.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $20 or more
About $20

Everyone who pledges $20 and up will receive a signed 5"x7" print postcard of the completed sculpture, a free Download of the Washington Heights Mixtape, and acknowledgment on the actual sculpture and website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $40 or more
About $40

Everyone who pledges $40 and up will receive a SIGNED 8"X10" PRINT of Sayulita, Mexico 2010. Prints are unlimited edition but will only be available for the duration of this Kickstarter. They will also receive a download of the Washington Heights Mixtape and Minnesota Mixtape once it is completed, an actual analog cassette tape of 100 minutes of the Minnesota Mixtape labeled and signed, a signed 5"x7" print postcard of the completed sculpture, and acknowledgment on the actual sculpture and website. Images of the prints and from the book can be seen at the bottom of this Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $80 or more
About $80

Everyone who pledges $80 and up will receive a Got The Power T-Shirt, a SIGNED 8"X10" PRINT of Sayulita, Mexico 2010. Prints are unlimited edition but will only be available for the duration of this Kickstarter. They will also receive a download of the Washington Heights Mixtape and Minnesota Mixtape once it is completed, an actual analog cassette tape of 100 minutes of the Minnesota Mixtape labeled and signed, a signed 5"x7" print postcard of the completed sculpture, and acknowledgment on the actual sculpture and website. Images of the prints and from the book can be seen at the bottom of this Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

Everyone who pledges $150 and up will receive a copy of my book, "Pomp and Circumstance: 2008", 7"x7" soft cover and 40 pages of images from my photo series on high school proms from 2008. They will also receive the Got The Power T-Shirt, a SIGNED 8"X10" PRINT of Sayulita, Mexico (2010). Prints are unlimited edition but will only be available for the duration of this Kickstarter. They will also receive a download of the Washington Heights Mixtape and Minnesota Mixtape once it is completed, an actual analog cassette tape of 100 minutes of the Minnesota Mixtape labeled and signed, a signed 5"x7" print postcard of the completed sculpture, and acknowledgment on the actual sculpture and website. Images of the prints and from the book can be seen at the bottom of this Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Everyone who pledges $500 and up will receive a limited edition 16"x20" print. Editions are of three, and are of three different images, "Taking AIM Bull Target pt.11" (2011), Speed (2001), and Ejisu (2006). They also receive a copy of my book, "Pomp and Circumstance: 2008", 7"x7" soft cover and 40 pages of images from my photo series on high school proms from 2008, and all of the other awards listed above. Images of the prints and from the book can be seen at the bottom of this Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

This is a very special prize. That is why there are only two of them. Two people who pledge $1,000 and up will receive a personal boom box sculpture designed and signed by me with a copy of the Bowery Mixtape part 3 as an analog cassette and mp3 included with their personalized sculpture. Plus they get a copy of my book, "Pomp and Circumstance: 2008", 7"x7" soft cover and 40 pages of images from my photo series on high school proms from 2008, a Got The Power T-Shirt, a download of the Washington Heights Mixtape and Minnesota Mixtape once it is completed, an actual analog cassette tape of 100 minutes of the Minnesota Mixtape labeled and signed, a signed 5"x7" print postcard of the completed sculpture, and acknowledgment on the actual sculpture and website. Images of the prints and from the book can be seen at the bottom of this Kickstarter page.